This invention relates generally to a roll mounting means and particularly to an anilox roll mounting means for a small, relatively low cost printing press.
Printing presses and flexographic presses, in particular, are equipped with ink feed or transfer rolls which are usually referred to as anilox rolls in the flexographic printing industry. Anilox rolls are surface engraved to determine the amount of ink to be transferred in a given setup. Because of this it is necessary that the anilox roll be readily removable for replacement by another roll suitable for a different setup.
With larger printing presses removal of the roll tends to be complicated and time-consuming. In some instances, where the ink roll is virtually fixed, considerable disassembly of the press may be necessary to change the ink roll. In other instances retractable journals are used operated by cams, pneumatic or hydraulic systems in order to speed up the removal and replacement operation.
In the prior art the closest reference is believed to be U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/503,240 assigned to the assignee hereof. This assembly works well for its intended purpose for use with a relatively large printing press but is not suitable for use with a relatively small and inexpensive printing press for which there is a proven need in the industry and which, to be competitive must have much simpler and less expensive parts.
The present invention supplies these requirements in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.